crandall



S (No Model.) I

J. A. ORANDALL.

. ORUTGH.

No. 267,680. Patentd Nov. 21, 1882.,

WITNESSES:

S BY r ATTORNEY.

:4. Fans. Photo-Liflw fiphnr. Washington. a a

II N; S

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE A. GRANDALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN NEXSEN, OF SAME PLACE.

CRUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,680, dated November 21, 1882.

Application filed July 95, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE A. ORANDALL, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Urutches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, making part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in crutches; and the invention consists in a crutch provided withacurved rocker at its lower end, substantially as is hereinafter particularly described. I5 In the accompanying sheet of drawings,Fig-

ure 1 is a side view of crutch in position for taking step Fig. 2, side view of crutch in position after step is ended Fig. 3, cross-section of rocker and rubber tire.

ln crutches of ordinary construction, as is well known, the advance of the user at each step is equal only to about the usual length of his natural step. This necessitates the frequent readjustment ot' the crutches and the almost constant support of the body on the crutches, which results in fatigue to the user and produces soreness under the arms; besides, the progress made by one usingcrutches of the usual kind is comparatively slow.

To obviate these several objections 1 con-' struct my crutches with either a single or double standard, A, (preferably, however, with double ones,) made from any suitable strong and elastic wood. To the lower ends of these 5 standards is firmlyfixeda rocker, B, which is also made of any suitable material. The ends of this rocker project on either side of the standards, as at a. From the rockers the standards extend upward and terminate in the 40 usual curved head, b, and each-crutch is provided with the usual handles, a, suitably located so as to be easily grasped by the hands. The curvature of the rockers B is that of a segment of a circle, and it may be greater or less, to suit the requirements of individual instances. To prevent the rockers from slipping, and wearing the carpet or floor, and at the same time to render them noiseless, each rocker (No model.)

is lined on its under side in any desirable mannor with rubber or some other soft and elastic 5o substance, which forms substantially a yield ing tire, d, for the rockers.

Now, when my crutches are constructed substantially as above described, they are used in this wise: The heads bare placed under the arms in the ordinary manner, the handles 0 are grasped by the hands, and the crutches are then thrust forward somewhat from the body of the user until the rear ends only of the rockers are in contact with the floor or ground. (See Fig. 1 A forward impetus now being given to the body of the user, heis at once rocked forward until the rockers assome the position shown in Fig. 2, in this way advancing the user not only a distance equal to the length of the rockers B, but also throwing the feet of the user some distance beyondthe front ends of the rockers, (see Fig. 2,)-to which position of the feet the rear ends of the rockers are again brought, and so on with each step or advancement.

It will be readily seen that with crutches of the foregoing description not only is the user progressed at each advancement a distance several times greater than he could be by using 7 5 the ordinary crutches, but he is atthe same time saved fatigue, since he is not required to adjust the crutches as frequently, nor to bear his weight so often upon them. In other words, he can get over more ground and with 80.

less elfort with my improved crutch than he can by using the ordinary crutch.

Having now described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 8 5 1. The combination, in a crutch, of one or more standards and an arm-rest,witharocker fixed to the lower end of the standard or standards, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a crutch, the combination of the rock- 0 ers B, with an elastic tire, b, substantially as is shown and described.

JESSE A. (JRANDALL.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT STUDWELL, CHARLES E. SIMMs, Jr. 

